Fish decoy or lure.



PATENTED FEB. 5, 1907.

G. P. BOWERSOX. FISH DEOOY 0B. LURE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1906.

II I

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. BOWERSOX, OF PORTLAND, INDIANA.

FISH DECOY on LURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1907.

Application filed March 22. 1906. Rarial No. 307,326.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. Bownnsox,

a'citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Portland, in the county of Jay, and in the State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Submarine or Diving Fish Decoys or Lures, of which the following is a full and explicit specification, being such I as will enable others skilled 1n the art to price.

A more particularobject is the provisio of a fish deco or lure adapted to be operated by a trollinc and adapted when being trolled to travel below the surface of the water, thereby increasing its efficiency as a fish bait or lure; and, finally, my object is to provide a fish decoy or lure having means whereby it may be employed as a casting-bait, more particular reference being had to the l means whereby it is caused to travel below the surface of the water when being trolled. Other ob'ects and particular advantages will be ma e manifest in the course of the ensuing specification.

Thepreferred' embodiirent of my invention is shown most clearly in the accompanying one sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my inven-' tion. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the under side of the invention. upper side of the invention, and Fig. 4 is a detail view'of one of the deflecting-fins.

'Sirrilar indices denote like parts throughout the several views,'

In order that m invention may be more readily understoo and its several advantages fully appreciated, I will now take, up

the detail description thereof and will refer to the various parts and the operations thereof as briefly and ascornpactly as I may.

The numeral 1 denotes the body of my invention, which is made to'simulate a minnow and which is preferably formed of wood or other material whereby it will be buoyant "and adapted to float on the surface of water. "The said body portion should be, suitably Fig'. 3 is a plan view of the usual threaded end, which is screwedjinto the body, the outer terminal eye, and the relatively long shank.

The nurreral 3 designates the front spinner, which is formed of sheetlrnetal and con-- structed to revolve when propelled through the water.

The numeral 4 denotes the hub, which is integrally connected to the center of the spinner, an aperture being formed in an axial direction through the hub 4 and centrally through the spinner for the shank of the screw-eye 2 tooperate in, whereby the said s inner is mounted to reyolve around the s ank of the screw-eye 2. One or more washers 5, which are round in cross-section, are loosely disposed around the shank of the screw-eye 2 between the inner end of the hub 4 and the nose of the body 1 for the hub 4 to contact with in order to reduce the friction thereof. I

Like unto the above, but extending out longitudinally from the rear end of the body 1, is a screw-eye 6, having the usual threaded end, which is screwed into the body, the outer terminal eye, and the relatively long shank.

The numeral 7 denotes the rear spinner,

which is also formed of sheet metal and is integrally connected to its hub 8, an a erture being formed in an axial direction't ough the hub 8 and centrally through the spinner for the shank of the screw-e e 6, where spinner is mounted to revo ve. The washer ythe 9 is secured around the shank of the screweye 6 for the rear end of the hub 8 to contact with.

lower portion of the body 1 is the, ballast 10, (shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and- 2,) its function being merely to retain the body right side up when inthe waterthat isto say, in the osition shown in. Fig. 1-the size of said ba lastdepending on the size and Located approximately in the center of the weight of the body, being formed, preferably, of lead or the like, and when in place should be'entirely concealed.

The numerals 11, 12, and 13 designate the three cavities, formed as shown, the former located in the under side of the center of the rear portion and the other two being located in opposite sides of the forward portion of the body. In each of said cavities is inserted a screweye, being denoted by the numerals 14,

15, and 16,

respectively. The threaded shanks of said screw-eyes are inserted into the body from the bottom of the respective apertures, and the eye portions thereof are screw-eye 6, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The numerals 21 and 22 designate the forward blades or deflectors, and the numerals 23 and 24 designate the rear blades or defiectors, the form, position, and the relative inclination of these four blades or deflectors 1 being an essential requisite to the success of this present invention. Each of said blades are formed crescent-shape, as shown in Fig.

' and when in .stantially as indicated.

4, and are made of sheet metal or the like position are suggestiveof fins for the representive fish or'minnow. Said blades are disposed each at an angle of approxlmately forty-five degrees extending from the medial horizontal line. on either side of the body and from there extending forward and downward to near the medial vertioal line on the under side of the body, sub- Slots are out into the body, as by a fine saw, into which the blades are tightly inserted by percussion, being held in place by the tensibility of the material into Y which the slots are formed.-

From the above it Will be apparent that if a line be secured in the-screw-eye 2 and the device be thrown into the water that the ballast will adjust the device to its normal position, as in Fig. 1, and then. by drawing on the line the device will be drawn through i the water, and by reason of the inclination of said blades or deflectors the body will be submerged, the depth at which it will travel below the surface of the water depending upon the speed at which it is caused to move.

I have herein attempted to set forth the best means to me known at this time for the accomplishment of the objects of my present invention in a simple and practical manner;

but it is evident that various changes and variations in the details thereof may be made without departing from the principles thereof which are new and useful.

Having now fully shown and described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a fish decoy or lure the combination of the body simulating a minnow, spinners mounted to the front and rear of the body, groups of hooks depending from the body, and blades or deflectors extending out from both sides of the body their positions being such as to cause the entire device to be submerged when it is trailed in water, all substantially as shown and described.

2. A fish decoy or lure comprising a buoyant body made to simulate a minnow, spinners revolubly mounted to the front and rear ends of the body, and crescent-shaped blades or deflectors projecting out from both sides of said body their positions being such as to cause the device to be submerged when it is trailed in the water, all substantially as set forth. l

3. A submarine or diving fish-decoy, comprising in combination, a buoyant body formed to represent a fish, spinners mounted to the front and rear of the body, groups of hooks depending from the body, a plurality of crescent-shaped blades projecting out from both sides of the body and disposed at cor responding angles sloping from their upper ends downward and forward to cause the device to submerge when it is trolled in water, all substantially as described.

4. A diving fish-lure comprising a Wooden body made to resemble a minnow, spinners carried by the front and rear ends of the body, means whereby a troll line may be connected to the front end of the body, hooksv pendent from various parts of the body, a

plurality of blades or. deflectors extending out from each side of the body and disposed at correspondingangles with reference to each other to cause the device to travel below the surface of the water when being trolled.

5. A fish-decoy comprising in combination a buoyant body made to simulate a minnow, screw-eyes extending out longitudinally from the front and rear of the body, a spinner mounted on' the shank of each of said screweyes, a group of hooks pendent from the rear screw-eye, groups of hooks pendent from the body, and blades extending out from each side of the body and disposed at corresponding angles extending from the medial hori- IIO zontal line on each side of the body forward and downward to near the medial'vertical lineon the under side of the body to cause the body to submerge when being trolled.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE F. BOWERSOX.

-Witnesses:

WALTER GAUNT, HARRY L. WILT. 

